Just after 6:00 a.m., I left Gambassi Terme for the short 8.4 mile hike to San Gimignano.

Today’s walk takes me through the scenic rolling hills of Tuscany through vineyards, wineries and an active Monestero di Bose and a nearby Santuario di Santa Maria della Davina Provvidenza which was destroyed in WWII and rebuilt in 1949.

Today’s short trip brings with it a welcomed rest day for my body. I will spend the day in silence, solitude and private journaling. I’m wrestling deeply today with a feeling of aloneness and homesickness not unlike what I experienced last year after days alone without meaningful connection. A friend of mind referred fondly to this emotion as the “ache of isolation” as if my bringing up the feeling reminded him of an old friend he hadn’t seen in a while. My immediate reaction was that he could have his old friend back until I realized he’s probably right. It may very well be this ache that illuminated my own realization on last year’s pilgrimage just how important meaningful connection is for us in the world (2nd friend this week to mention the importance of connections to our healthiness as humans).